The Truth of Puella Magi
by mtnetwarrior
Summary: Think you know the real truth behind the magical girls just because you watched a simple anime? Believe it or not, even the when the show mentions it, there's more to these girls than what's explained by the Incubator, and a small batch of students from the DWMA will show Madoka and her friends the true reality behind Puella Magi.
1. Chapter 1: An Unexpected Discovery

**Now, my masterpiece... Maybe. The point is I've been wanting to do a story like this for a long time. This triple crossover will include characters from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Dangan Ronpa, and Soul Eater (none of which I own, for the record). Universe-wise, the Dangan Ronpa story will be erased altogether (in-universe no less). The Soul Eater side will follow the manga series rather than the anime (not my usual style but it's necessary for the plot). The Puella Magi will include the anime, the PSP game, and even the Oriko side-story (yeah, I wanted to include every witch that franchise has to offer). Let's get started, since I already included the disclaimer.**

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Discovery

Mukuro Ikusaba woke up in a cold sweat. The dream she had just had was the same one she seemed to have on an almost weekly basis. Slowly, she ran her hands through her bobbed black hair, her clear blue eyes gazing out at the darkened room of her apartment within Death City. She touched the bridge of her freckled nose as she tried to banish the dream from her memory. The apartment she was in was small but comfortable, and her bedroom was filled with the various war medals she had received during her time as a mercenary. Mukuro was wearing nothing except for her black sports bra and matching panties over her slim yet toned form.

She cast her gaze about the room, her expression one of worry. She finally looked down and rubbed her left hand over the wolf's-head tattoo on her right. The mark of Fenrir, a mercenary unit funded by the American government that specialized in anti-terrorist activities. Fenrir was the group sent in when the United Nations didn't want a threat to escalate out of control. Slowly, another hand, that of a man, was placed upon her's. She looked over near the window and breathed a sigh of relief. There, silhouetted in the moonlight, was her partner and lover, Kiyotaka Ishimaru.

Back in high school, Mukuro briefly had a crush on another student, but Kiyotaka's military-like approach to life had gotten her attention real hard. He was of a heavier build than Mukuro and far more muscular. His hair was also black but also short and spikey. His bright red eyes looked like warm and inviting lit coals in the dark. He was only wearing a pair of white boxers. "Is something wrong?," Kiyotaka asked Mukuro, noting the worry in her face. Mukuro sighed. "It's that dream again. The same one from a few nights ago."

In her dream, Mukuro found herself inside their old high school gym, closed off with metal shutters. A strange animatronic teddy bear, white on one side and black on the other, kept rambling on about something, though Mukuro couldn't make out any words. She could definitely see some of her other classmates with her, however. Suddenly, she confronted the bear about something, causing it to approach her. She quickly stomped on the bear with her left leg, pinning it to the ground. However, shortly after that, numerous spears popped out from seemingly nowhere and impaled her, causing her to die within seconds.

The dream didn't end there, though. She then wandered the school as if she was a ghost. She saw Kiyotaka, his hair now pure white, entering the storage room of the physics lab. As he checked his watch, a mysterious shadow crept up behind him. Mukuro was helpless to aid Kiyotaka as the shadow raised a mallet over its head and brought it down on Kiyotaka's skull. Kiyotaka barely had enough time to turn around before the strike. That was always the moment when Mukuro woke up. "I always feel so helpless when I have that dream," Mukuro said, "I'm meant to be the Ultimate Soldier. A hero of war who never backs down. But I'm not invincible, and I know it. Being helpless has always been my biggest fear."

Kiyotaka smiled gently as he pulled Mukuro into a gentle hug. "Don't you worry. That's all behind us. I don't know what miracle allowed us to go back and undo all of that, but it happened nonetheless." He released the hug and placed a gentle hand on Mukuro's cheek. "Let's just get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow." Mukuro smiled and nodded, then moved in to kiss Kiyotaka. He returned her kiss, and the two of them laid back down on the bed they shared. _'A meister and her weapon,'_ Mukuro thought, _'A new past and future, and a new war to fight. I need to focus on the new enemy... The Kishin.'_

* * *

Homura Akemi opened her eyes as she gazed out at the streets of Mitakihara Town once again. She had jumped back in time for... She wasn't sure anymore how many times she did it. Of course, she wasn't actually moving through time itself. What she was doing was taking the memories she had and sending them back to herself in the past, hoping they would help her change the future. But so far, nothing was working. Homura was a young high school girl of average build, with long grayish-black hair that came down to her waist. She was wearing a school uniform consisting of a pale blouse with a red bow and white undershirt, plaid miniskirt, gray leggings that came all the way up to her hips, and brown shoes. Her hair was held back by a dark brown hairband, revealing her deep purple eyes.

As Homura walked forward, pondering her next move, she spotted a familiar sight. It was a small white creature, with a round head that had plain features like a stuffed animal. Its ears were tear shaped with a small inward curve at the wider end, and it had gold rings around those ears. Its tail was something like a fox's. It was Kyubey, the Incubator. This creature was responsible for turning ordinary girls into magical girls. However, they were nothing like the magical girls that were shown on anime and in manga. No, the magical girls of the real world were something much darker, and the really tragic part was that she was the only one who knew the real truth.

Kyubey seemed to be talking to a young woman maybe a few years older than Homura. She was beautifully pale, with dirty white hair done up knotted pigtails that came down to her chest, tied off in red bows. Her piercing red eyes burned behind a pair of spectacles, and she wore a black school girls outfit with short white socks and black shoes. Slung over her shoulder was a blue carrying bag for a shinai, or wooden practice sword. Homura knew in an instant what was going on... Kyubey was trying to make another contract with this girl. However, before Homura could move to intervene, the girl said, "Why would I need to change my life? Why would I need the power you're offering me?"

Homura was surprised to hear someone actually question Kyubey intentions. Most girls would have leapt at the chance to become a magical girl, especially since Kyubey offered a wish in exchange for the contract, though the wish always wound up being flawed. Of course, considering Kyubey did not comprehend human emotion, this was to be expected. But this girl, she was speaking as if she was going to flat out refuse Kyubey's offer. Kyubey must have also thought this, because it replied, "I don't understand. Why wouldn't you want this offer? Is there nothing in your life you want to change? I was told about your history. Don't you want your freedom from that family?"

"You misunderstand my connection to the Kuzuryu family," the girl said, "I actually enjoy my life with them. They are the only family I have and have treated me as if I was a family member myself. And it's because of them that I even have a life worth living in the first place. And to be honest, the whole concept of becoming a so-called 'magical girl' sounds fishy in the first place." Homura wondered where she had heard about this "Kuzuryu" family from before. The name sounded familiar. Before Kyubey could plead his case, another voice came in, saying, "Hey Peko. This little rat giving you lip?"

From down the street walked a young man who almost looked to be Homura's age, though she somehow got the impression he was older than that. His blonde hair was buzzed down and had distinct line patterns going across both side. His face resembled that of a child, with bright blue eyes and a permanent blush. However, the pinstripe suit he wore told Homura this was no cute boy, but a hardcore Yakuza gangster. Suddenly Homura realized what was going on. Somehow the girl, Peko, was involved with a Yakuza family.

Without another word, the mobster picked up the Incubator and looked it over with a discerning eye. "What is this stuffed freak anyway?" Peko shrugged her shoulder. "Not sure. It called itself Kyubey. Said it was an 'Incubator' and made me an offer to become a 'magical girl' in exchange for a wish. Honestly, I don't buy what it's selling. Something about it doesn't sit right." The mobster grinned and looked at Peko. "Alright then, what's say we send it packing?" And with that, he let the Incubator drop to the ground before intercepting it with his foot, sending the creature flying with a hard kick.

Homura cautiously approached the duo, wanting to talk to them. The mobster noticed Homura's presence, and offered a sincerely friendly grin. "Sorry you had to see that. I'm normally friendlier towards animals." "That was no animal," Homura said, "I'm not sure what it's supposed to be." She looked at Peko. "You choose not to take his contract. Are you really happy living with a Yakuza family?" She half expected the mobster to answer for her, but instead Peko said, "Yes, actually. Especially since I grew up in that family, right alongside Fuyuhiko here. Oh... I'm Peko Pekoyama by the way."

Fuyuhiko held out his hand. "And I'm Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. You may know my family from the papers." Homura hesitated for a second before shaking Fuyuhiko's hand. "I'm Homura Akemi." Both Fuyuhiko and Peko smiled at each other, and Homura got the feeling that they weren't as bad as their appearance would suggest. But just as she was starting to calm down the sky started to fade, and turn an unnatural shade of blue. Homura's eyes widened as she realize what was happening. _'No! Not here! Not now! I haven't even had a chance to rest.'_ She got out the small pendant she had with her.

Peko looked at the pendant in question. It seemed to be a purple gem of some kind, diamond in shape and encased in a gold binding. The lower part of the gem seemed to be blackened somehow. "I still have plenty of magic left...," Homura muttered, "But I need to make this as fast as possible." "What're you muttering about over there?," Fuyuhiko asked, a little concerned. "That's not important," Homura said, "What is important is that you two need to get somewhere safe. Please, for your own good." Fuyuhiko chuckled. "First off, I don't take orders from anyone who ain't my ma or pa. Second, I don't know what's got your panties in a twist, but me and Peko ain't so helpless."

At that moment, a deep rumbling was heard that seemed to be getting closer. The three of them looked to see some sort of giant monster approaching. Bizarre didn't even begin to describe it. It looked like a human brain encased in a blue jellyfish-like sac, nerve endings spread out all over. "A witch...," Homura muttered. Peko gasped at that statement. She walked over to a nearby window and breathed on it, creating a mist. She quickly used her finger to write on the mist she had made. Homura noted what she writing, the numbers 42, 42, and 564. In an instant, the window pane shimmered and rippled before flashing bright white.

When Homura looked again, there appeared to be someone on the other side of the window. It was a young adult, maybe in his mid-twenties. He had short black hair with three horizontal white stripe going across it. He wore a black suit with white accents, and two silver rings on each of his middle fingers. His eyes were a grayish-blue. What struck Homura as odd was how symmetrical he seemed to be, as if half of him was inside a mirror. 'Meister Peko,' the man said, 'How good of you to call. How goes your patrol?' "Something has come up Lord Death," Peko said, and pointed to the creature Homura had called a witch.

The man known as Lord Death gasped. 'Well now this is surprising. What sort of Kishin is this?' "Actually," Peko said, and she pulled Homura into Lord Death's view, "This girl here called that monster a witch." Lord Death blinked. 'A witch? I don't think I've ever seen a witch like that. Are you sure that's what it is?' Homura nodded, still unsure what to make of what she was seeing. Lord Death clasped his hands, again in a symmetrical manner. 'We currently have a truce with the various witch covens, however it only applies to human witches. This thing is most definitely not human. And Meister Peko, I believe you and Fuyuhiko presently have 99 Kishin souls, correct?' Peko nodded.

For a few seconds Lord Death seemed to ponder, his eyes closed. He then opened them again. 'Whatever this thing is, witch or not it is a danger to humans. Take care of it. If it does have a witch's soul, you are free to use it to forge Fuyuhiko into a Death Scythe. If it works, be sure to report your findings to Professor Stein.' And with that, the window returned to normal. Fuyuhiko smiled. "Me turning into a Death Scythe, huh? Well, at the very least we can smash this monster." He suddenly glowed a bright white and leapt into the air. When he came back down, he somehow transformed into a katana complete with scabbard.

Homura gasped as Peko caught the now-weaponized Fuyuhiko, drawing the blade and placing the scabbard against her belt. She then rushed off to confront the witch monster. "She doesn't know what she's getting into," came Kyubey's voice, "Only a magical girl can defeat a witch." Homura looked at the white creature. "I know this. But don't think to try your talk with me. I've had it before." Kyubey looked confused. Homura held out the gem, and it started glowing. Peko, seeing the light, turned to see what was going on. From within the katana, Fuyuhiko's physical form, now fully naked, asked, "What's going on? What's up with Homura?"

Before their eyes, Homura's clothes briefly vanished, only to be replaced with a similar outfit. This one, however, had a violet shawl and skirt with a matching ribbon, as well as a black undershirt. A small silver shield had appeared on her left arm. "Please," she said, "You must leave this witch to me. Only a magical girl like myself can destroy it." Peko gave a rare chuckle. "You don't understand what me and Fuyuhiko are, do you? Let me enlighten you." And with that, she seemed to disappear. Seconds later, the witch was convulsing, as if in pain. When Homura looked closer, she gasped. Peko was moving at blinding speed, slashing her way through the witch's outer casing.

"Then again," Kyubey said, "I may be wrong in this matter." Peko slashed her way closer and closer to the brain-like nucleus of the witch. Holding Fuyuhiko so he could see her face, the two of them nodded. Simultaneously they called out, "Let's go... Soul Resonance!" In a matter of seconds, Fuyuhiko seemed to grow longer and sharper. "Katana Secret Technique!," Peko said, "Muramasa Slash!" She swung Fuyuhiko in a slashing arc, creating a shockwave that struck the witch's core. More slashes and shockwaves followed, stunning and damaging the witch severely. Finally, Peko finished it off with a more direct slash, slicing the witch in two.

Homura was expecting it to regenerate or something, since it wasn't magic that defeated it. But instead, the witch proceeded to vanish. "Impossible," Kyubey said, "They defeated a witch without the power of a magical girl." Homura wasn't sure she believed it either, but the truth was that Peko and Fuyuhiko had succeeded. The witch was gone, leaving behind the grief seed. Something else was left behind as well, which Fuyuhiko, once again in human form, was interested in. It seemed to be a dark purple sphere, with a spikey tail coming out of the top. "It really is," Fuyuhiko said, "A genuine witch's soul."

Before Homura and Kyubey's eyes, Fuyuhiko went and swallowed the soul. In an instant his body seemed to react. His eyes widened as a surge of energy washed through him. "Is it happening?," Peko asked. After a few seconds, Peko got her answer as a number of blade emerged from Fuyuhiko's body. However, they didn't seem to be impaling him, rather he seemed to be summoning them. When they subsided, Fuyuhiko gave a laugh of triumph. "It worked, Peko! That soul was just what we needed! I'm a Death Scythe now!" Peko smiled widely as she hugged Fuyuhiko. "That's wonderful! That means the other students at Death Weapon Meister Academy can forge Death Scythes without breaking the truce!"

Homura just stood there, stunned. Not only had these two defeated a witch, but Fuyuhiko had actually eaten its soul and gained power from it. Peko then noticed the grief seed, a dark purplish-green plant seed. "What is this?," she wondered, "Whatever it is, I think Professor Stein should have a look at it." "He should probably have a look at this too," Fuyuhiko said, picking up Kyubey by its neck, "It seems to know about these monster witches. Besides, the doc's been looking for something new to dissect." Kyubey seemed to be genuinely worried, but Homura was not about to stop Fuyuhiko. Not after the disasters Homura knew it would bring about. _'Besides,'_ she thought, _'With him gone, maybe I won't have to intervene in her life.'_

To be continued...

**This is fun. I like writing. And getting views makes me wanna write more. So read, read people! And leave a review if you'd be so kind.**


	2. Chapter 2: Of Meisters And Puella Magi

**I already have a review for this. Seems my fans love that I'm handing Kyubey over to Professor Stein. Oh yes... That little rat will be delivered sweet karma... Yes... Anyway, I digress. Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Dangan Ronpa, or Soul Eater (man, this is gonna be a mouthful to repeat each time).**

Chapter 2: Of Meisters And Puella Magi

Kyoko Sakura finished off the witch she had found and reverted back to her normal clothes. She was a young girl at around junior high age with a slim figure. Her reddish-pink, waist-length hair was done up in a ponytail, tied back with a black ribbon, and she had amber colored eyes. Her normal clothes consisted of ripped jean shorts that came short of her hips, a blue hoodie with black tank top, and knee high black boots. She picked up the grief seed that had been dropped by the witch. She was glad she got to it before any of these strange humans called "Meisters" showed up.

Rumors had been going around that there were humans now hunting witches using strange weapons that took human form. From what Kyoko understood, each Meister saw their chosen weapon as a partner rather than a tool, and the weapons were fully sentient. Regardless, Kyoko believed she could have gotten the grief seed anyway, since the Meisters only seemed to be interested in one thing... The witch's soul. Supposedly once the soul of a witch was fused with a weapon wielded by a Meister, that weapon would grow in power. Still, it was only a rumor.

As Kyoko was pondering this, she also thought it strange how there didn't seem to be any other magical girls patrolling this region. As she looked around, she spotted a small girl about six or seven years old. She was rather adorable looking, even as she was crying her bright blue eyes out. Her hair was short and green and tied up in pigtails held in place by bright yellow orbs. She was wearing a pretty blue-green dress. The child was looking at the mangled corpses of her parents, no doubt victims of the witch before Kyoko defeated it.

Kyoko couldn't help but feel sympathetic. She placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "Listen kid," Kyoko said, "I'm sorry about what happened here, but no amount of crying will bring them back." The girl sat there, not moving or speaking, until a growling sound was heard. It Kyoko several seconds to realize it was the child's stomach. Sighing, Kyoko took the child out to get something to eat. A half-hour later the girl was gleefully munching on a burger Kyoko bought her. "When's the last time you ate anyway?," Kyoko asked.

The girl simply took a sip of the soft drink that was also bought and asked, "Onee-chan...?" Kyoko was taken aback at being called "big sister", but recovered and replied, "What is it?" "What was that thing?," the girl asked, "The one that killed my parents?" Her eyes went blank as she told the story. "At first, all I could see were these strange flowers. I thought they were pretty, so I went to find mama and papa to show them. But when next I saw my mama..." She trailed off after that, and Kyoko felt she could guess the next sight that greeted the girl's eyes. No doubt, it was far from pretty.

"That creature was a witch," Kyoko said, "And it's my job as a Puella Magi to fight them." "Puella," the child repeated, "Magi...? You mean, like a magical girl out of a manga?" Kyoko nodded. "'Cept real magical girls are nothing like Sailor Moon or Mermaid Melody. For us, love and courage are rare commodities." She unwrapped her own burger. "What's your name anyway, kid?" "Yuma," the child said, "Yuma Chitose." Yuma looked at Kyoko. "So... Aren't you a defender of justice?" Kyoko thought for a moment.

"I guess I could qualify," Kyoko said, "Though it's not really all that good. Everytime I fight one of those witches, my life is on the line." Yuma smiled and got up. "Then, maybe I'll become a Puella Magi too." Kyoko nearly choked on her soft drink. After she recovered, she said, "Are you nuts?! You just survived being attacked a witch! Do you realize what'll happen if you become someone who's supposed to fight them?! I just got through explaining how I put my life on the line fighting those things. At the very least you should try to live a normal life first. Maybe wait a few years so that you're more mature."

Yuma started to tear up again, causing Kyoko to calm down. "Sorry, I just don't like the thought of someone as young as you getting into danger on a regular basis. Like I said, in real life, magical girls can't always save the day so easily. As much as we try, victims are inevitable. Understand?" Yuma nodded. "Yes, onee-chan..." Kyoko sighed. "And another thing. I'm not 'onee-chan'. My name is Kyoko Sakura. Now come on." She started to walk off. "Even I'm not about to let a girl as young as you alone without at least showing you how to survive on the street." She gave a warm smile. Yuma smiled wider and followed Kyoko.

* * *

Professor Franken Stein was busy inside his laboratory within the DWMA. A middle-aged man, his white hair barely covered the giant screw that ran through his head, the wider part of the screw peeking out from the left side. A self-made scar ran across his face, from the middle curving under his left eye. There were a number of other scars across his body, a product of his experiments upon himself, but these were normally covered by his patch-work sweater, pants, and lab coat. He also wore brown loafers and round glasses.

He rotated the screw in his head clockwise as he checked his notes on the strange "grief seed" that had been brought in by Peko and Fuyuhiko. They also mentioned the girl, Homura, who had called herself a "Puella Magi". Then, there was Kyubey. The white creature who called itself an "Incubator" was now strapped to Stein's dissection table. Naturally it was trying to escape, but those straps were designed by the Grim Reaper himself to hold any creature in existence. The only reason why Stein hadn't started dissecting Kyubey yet is because he was waiting for Lord Death to interrogate the creature.

Lord Death was originally known as Death the Kid, the son of the Grim Reaper himself. During the events surrounding the true Kishin, Kid found himself forced to fully unlock his powers, causing his father's death and his own ascension. Now known as Lord Death, he was originally planning on having Soul Eater Evans be the last Death Scythe to be forged. Recent events had... Changed that plan. As Stein finished adjusted his screw, Lord Death walked into the lab and looked over the creature. "So," he said, "You are the one that calls itself an 'Incubator'. Funny how my father never mentioned such creatures."

Lord Death looked over Kyubey with a discerning eye. "I'll give you this much... Your sense of symmetry is outstanding. However, from what I understand, you have a knack for causing trouble for my students. So tell me, what is your purpose here?" Kyubey closed its eyes. "I'm here to stop the eventual destruction of the universe. Surely you must know of the concept of Entropy." "The theory that energy output is lower than energy input," Lord Death said, "Do not start with lectures. I don't know if you've noticed this, but you're in the middle of a school, where I was once a student."

Stein smirked. "If you think that's outrageous, wait 'til you here where this creature plans on getting the energy needed to counteract Entropy." Lord Death raised an eyebrow. "And where would that be?" "Why, the dreams of young girls in their second cycle of growth," Kyubey said, "I grant their wishes, and contract them to fight against witches." "That's what he describes Itzli, the creature Peko fought, as being," Stein explained, "It did produce a witch's soul, so I suppose it's accurate. And when Fuyuhiko consumed it, he was indeed turned into a Death Scythe."

Stein pointed to the grief seed that was floating in a nearby canister. "He claims that these seeds are used to provide the energy needed." Lord Death chuckled. "Do you know who I am?" Kyubey seemed inquisitive. "I am the Grim Reaper," Lord Death explained, "Death himself. One of the primal forces that govern this universe. And what you are doing goes against the natural law set forth eons ago by my father. Using the dreams and emotions of young girls to extend this world's lifespan? It's meant to fade out eventually anyway, so why bother? Better to live a life that's short and sweet than long and bitter. Professor Stein, do what you do best." And with that, Lord Death walked out of the room.

Stein chuckled. "To be fair," he said, "Your plan may work on a fundamental level. But this world is built on morals, not fundamentals. That is why your plan is simply unneeded." He slipped on a pair of surgical gloves and picked up a scalpel. "Now then, let's see just what makes you tick, little Incubator." Unable to break free, Kyubey went limp as Stein sliced open the creature's stomach. Inside were more grief seeds, as well as something else altogether. It was a round sphere, with a surface that looked like semi-hardened lava. When he saw that, Stein removed his gloves and lit a cigarette. "Incubator my ass. You're nothing but a Kishin. This soul proves it."

* * *

Homura didn't know what to make of the situation. As she walked down the hall to her homeroom, she thought about recent events. She had never seen anything like these "Meisters" in any other timeline. When she told Peko of her mission, Peko simply said, "If you want to help her, get involved in her life. Be her friend, not her bodyguard." Homura thought back to the first timeline where she had met the girl who changed her life, Madoka Kaname. By the time she originally got to know her, Madoka was already a Puella Magi, having made a wish to save a stray cat that had died in front of her.

Madoka had saved Homura's life in that original timeline, but had died shortly after. So Homura made a wish to become strong enough to go back and protect Madoka. Since then, quiet, shy, wallflower Homura became the more confident person she was now. But now matter what happened, she always seemed to fail to save Madoka for one reason or another. But Peko said that the only reason for that was because Homura kept trying to redo the scenario every time things didn't go her way, not caring one bit for Madoka's real feelings.

_"Madoka sounds like the sort of girl who cares more for others than herself. But by focusing solely on her, you're just closing her off. Don't rewrite history just because of one little slip-up. Because in doing so, you're not doing a thing to protect her. More importantly, don't just protect her, protect those around her. Her friends are the most important thing to her. If they're in danger of any kind, she'll do whatever it takes to protect them. And most important of all, get involved in her life. She's always shown kindness to you, and I'm certain she'd love to be your friend given half a chance. So give her that chance. And for crying out loud, stop using your magic's reset button. You're practically one time warp away from collapsing all of time."_

Homura smiled as she was beckoned into the classroom. _'I shouldn't be so surprised Peko knows about protecting people. She did say she used to be Fuyuhiko's bodyguard.'_ After class, Homura walked over to Madoka and her two friends, Sayaka Miki and Hitomi Shizuki. Madoka was a very pretty young girl with bright pink hair and matching eyes. Her hair was tied up in short pigtails with similar colored ribbons. Sayaka had short blue hair with matching eyes. A pair of hair clips could be seen on the left side of her head. Hitomi had wavy green hair that came down to her shoulders and matching eyes. All three of them wore the same school outfit as Homura, though Madoka had white stocking that came up to her hips.

"Hey there," Madoka said to Homura, "You're the new transfer student, right?" Homura nodded. The four of them spent the rest of the day together. _'It should be alright this time,'_ Homura thought, _'Fuyuhiko said he was taking the Incubator to someone named Professor Stein for study. From what he said, Stein's idea of study is dissection. Although, there is the fact that...'_ At that moment, she thought she saw Kyubey out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned it was nowhere to be seen. "Is everything alright?," Hitomi asked. "Oh," Homura said, and smiled, "It's nothing."

* * *

Kyoko and Yuma were walking through town. Yuma couldn't remember when she had so much fun. Kyoko had taken her to a hotel to stay. Then they had successfully snuck inside a hot spring to relax, then went out and got some curry for dinner. Kyoko, for her part, didn't think it would be so bad to play big sister to Yuma for a while. As they kept walking, suddenly the entire street seemed to be full of toys. "Damn," Kyoko muttered, "A witch's barrier." Getting out her soul gem, which was red and egg shaped, she focused on it and took on her Puella Magi persona.

Yuma looked on in awe as Kyoko turned into bright light, which faded to reveal her new outfit. It was as red as her hair, and consisted of a black undershirt, and a blouse that split in a downward V from her midriff. On her arms were white stockings and black cuffs. Her boots had turned red, and her jean shorts were replaced with a skirt. In an instant, Kyoko saw the witch that had created the barrier. It looked like a large doll, with tiny limbs that had no extremities, a white hood over it's faceless head, and a little white dress. Kyoko got out her spear and readied herself. However, the witch quickly went for a more vulnerable target... Yuma.

Leaping into the air, the witch's arms grew to great lengths. However before it could pounce on Yuma, a giant shadow appeared behind her. She looked to see a giant of a man, who seemed to be solid muscle from head to toe. He had crew cut black hair, and his black eyes seemed to radiate some sort of energy. He was dressed in a black leather jacket with white tank top and jeans, as well as black sneakers. There was a chain with what looked like a whistle hanging around his neck. The man held what looked like a giant barbell over his shoulder. Without another word, he quickly swung the barbell and knocked the witch out of the air, sending it flying into one of the toy piles.

"This is the last soul we need Akane," the man said, though Yuma couldn't see anyone else around, "Are you ready?" To Yuma and Kyoko's surprise, the barbell replied, "As I'll ever be Neko. Let's hit it!" The man nodded, and he and the barbell said, "Let's go... Soul Resonance! Barbell Secret Technique! Ten-thousand Kilo!" The barbell glowed and turned into a giant weight set. The man called Neko raised the weights up, then let them fall to the ground, creating a shockwave that threw the witch into the air. Neko then pulled the weights from their support and swung them around, slamming them into the witch.

The witch was quickly thrown to the ground and disappeared shortly thereafter. Kyoko then gasped as the barbell turned into a young woman. She had a perfect tan and a rather large bust, which made Kyoko feel her own chest in envy. The woman's hair was brown and wavy, and seemed to spread out in all directions. Her eyes were also brown. Her white shirt barely fit over her bust, but luckily she had a black tank top on underneath it. She also wore a red skirt and white high tops. Grinning, she picked up the witch's soul that had been left behind. "This is it," she said, "The last soul I need to become a Death Scythe."

"Wait," Kyoko said, "You mean... You guys are a Meister and weapon?" The man nodded. "My name is Nekomaru Nidai. This is my partner, Akane Owari." Yuma stood up and bowed. "I'm Yuma Chitose." She pointed to Kyoko. "And this is Kyoko Sakura. She's a..." "Puella Magi," Akane finished, "We've heard of them." Before Yuma and Kyoko's eyes, Akane swallowed the witch's soul. A few seconds later, the ground beneath her seemed to tremble. As Kyoko looked on, Akane seemed to create an instant crater just by standing in one spot.

"Alright!," Akane cheered, "I'm feeling the power! Check me out Neko! I'm a Death Scythe now!" "But," Yuma said, "Didn't you turn into a barbell?" The others just looked at her blankly. Akane sighed. "Death Scythe is just a title, kid. I'm not actually a scythe, that's Nagito." "By the way," Nekomaru said, "We've come across the bodies of other Puella Magi. From what we've seen, they've fallen in battle." Kyoko's eyes widened. "To witches?" Nekomaru shook his head. "From what we've seen, it appears they fell to others of their kind." Kyoko folded her arms. That seemed to make sense. With how rare grief seeds were, it was no surprise that Puella Magi would fight each other to get them.

Akane then looked at Yuma. "I can tell the look in your eye. But lemme say this right now. The life you're dreaming of isn't the reality Kyoko is living. If you do somehow become a Puella Magi, you'll only wind up worrying her. She knows this better than you, after all." Kyoko looked on as Nekomaru and Akane headed off. She then saw Yuma looking at her, and saw something strange. Bending down, she gently lifted Yuma's bangs and gasped. Her forehead was covered in burn scars. "That witch didn't do this," she said, "These look more like cigarette burns. But where...?"

Yuma started to tear up again. "I... Didn't really love papa and mama. Papa was always gone, and mama said it was because I was a bad girl. She said I was only able to eat and sleep. She would always call me useless, and... And..." She couldn't continue after that. Kyoko couldn't help but sympathize with Yuma. Her thoughts drifted back to her father. Her wish had been for people to listen to his preachings, since his job was a priest but no one seemed to accept his religious ideals. However, her wish had backfired, and eventually led to her father committing suicide. "Yuma," Kyoko said, "Don't get the wrong idea. I don't think you're useless. But the life of a Puella Magi can only lead to tragedy. So please... Stop thinking about becoming one." Yuma's eyes widened, and she nodded in understanding.

* * *

On a nearby rooftop, another Kyubey was talking to a young girl in white. "Are you sure?," Kyubey asked. The girl nodded. "She can certainly become a Puella Magi, but she needs to be convinced of it. As it stands now, there is little she wants to do to change her life. Not to worry, I can help you with that." Kyubey was very eager to have another contract, as Puella Magi had been dying due to actions of other Puella Magi, which was upsetting his plans. "By the way," the girl asked, "When I heard you were being taken to be dissected, I was worried about you. How did you escape?" Kyubey seemed confused. "When was I taken to be dissected?" Now it was the girl who was confused.

To be continued...

**Hint, hint. Things are more than they seem with this Incubator. Read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3: What It Means To Be Useful

**Yeah, I decided to make Lord Death just a little more mature. Chalk it up to spending so much time with the Thompson Sisters. Anyway *takes deep breathes*... Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Dangan Ronpa, or Soul Eater.**

Chapter 3: What It Means To Be Useful

Mikan Tsumiki hummed to herself as she finished organizing the medicines at the hospital where she worked. Her hair was waist length, dark purple, and somewhat unkempt. Her eyes were a lighter purple shade. Her nurse's uniform was pale pink and had puffy sleeves. She was also wearing a white apron tied behind her back. In addition to her white socks and shoes, she had bandages on her right leg and left arm, and a band-aid patch on her left kneecap. As she finished writing her notes, she was surprised by a pair of hands suddenly covering her eyes.

She giggled as she easily removed the hands and turned to see her boyfriend and partner Hajime Hinata. Hajime was the first boy to show kindness to Mikan, though not the first person, and Mikan quickly found herself falling in love with the young scholar. Hajime himself had short, spikey brown hair. His eyes were a pale green and almost looked to be shaped like a prohibition symbol. He was wearing a simple white shirt with a green tie that had a strange symbol on it. He was also wearing blue jeans and red and white sneakers. "You know, Hajime," Mikan said, "I do have patients coming in soon."

The pleading look Hajime got in his eyes was something Mikan just couldn't resist. "Oh... Fine. But not too long, okay?" The too of them starting kissing lovingly, until there came of someone clearing their throat. The two of them turned to see a young teen with red hair next to a small child with green hair. "I guess it's true what they say," the red head said, "Hospitals do have that sort of thing." Mikan looked at Hajime, who shrugged and let her get on with her work. "Sorry about that," Mikan said to the red head, "You must be Kyoko Sakura, yes?"

Kyoko nodded. Mikan squatted down so she was eye-level with the child. "Then that would make you Yuma Chitose, yes?" Yuma nodded, then said, "Is that man your boyfriend?" Mikan giggled. "Why, yes he is." Yuma grinned. "Mama always did say nurses had the easiest time finding boyfriends. And you're a very pretty lady, so is must be even easier." "Why thank you," Mikan said, "Now let's a take a look at you." She sat Yuma down on the bed in the room and lifted her bangs, frowning at the sight of the cigarette burns. "I see what you mean, Kyoko. These aren't serious, but I'm surprised no one noticed them earlier."

She began to get some burn ointment from the cupboard. "At this point they're little more than scars. Not deep ones either. At this stage all they need is some ointment and they should start to fade." Kyoko nodded, relieved that the burns weren't anything to worry about. "How did she get those burns anyway?," Hajime asked. Yuma started tearing up again, causing Hajime to look worried. "Sorry... If it's too much trouble..." "Mama...," Yuma said, "Wasn't very nice to me..." Mikan realized what she was getting at. "You too, huh?"

Yuma looked at Mikan. "You're not the only one whose parents wrote them off as useless," Mikan said, "But just find something you're good at, and maybe they'll see how wrong they were." "Too late for that," Kyoko said sadly, "Her parents are dead. I happened across her after it happened and decided to take her under my wing." Yuma smiled widely. "That's right. Kyoko nee-chan has been a much better person than mama." "Oh," Mikan said, "So Kyoko here is a like a big sister to you?" Yuma nodded rapidly. Mikan giggled as she finished applying the ointment, then covered it up with some light bandaging. Kyoko couldn't help but grin. _'Me... A big sister... Well, I always was hoping for a second chance at that...'_

* * *

Homura wasn't sure why a witch had decided to appear when it did. One minute she was enjoying her time at the mall with Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi, the next they were inside one of those terrible barriers. As some of the witch's familiars started bearing down on them, something came and slashed them apart. Madoka and Sayaka looked up to see someone standing above them. She was a beautiful young woman, like something out of a fairy tale. She had blonde hair that came all the way down to her knees, beautifully pale skin and light green eyes that seemed to shine like emeralds.

She was wearing a green and white dress with a large red ribbon on her chest, as well and knee-length black stocking and brown slippers. There was a black ribbon in her hair. "Are you four all right?," she said, in a voice that almost sounded like a song. "Yes," Madoka said, "Who are you?" The woman smiled. "My name is Sonia Nevermind, princess of Novoselic. I am here with my partner Gundham Tanaka to defeat the witch casting this barrier. But first..." She stood over one of the fallen creatures, which Homura recognized as one of the witch's familiars, and picked up the Kishin Egg that it had dropped.

"This familiar must have swallowed many human souls," Sonia said as she held the egg in her hand, "It's own soul has became damaged and turned into a Kishin Egg. Well, waste not, want not." Before the girls' eyes, she swallowed the Kishin Egg whole. "Alright then," Sonia said, "That was the ninety-ninth Kishin Egg I needed. Now all me and Gundham have to do is defeat the witch, and I can use her soul to become a Death Scythe." Her eyes seemed to light up at the thought of wholesale slaughter, which kinda ruined the princess image for Madoka.

"So," Homura said, "You are one of those Demon Weapons, like Fuyuhiko. Does that mean Gundham is your Meister?" "That right," Sonia said, "But he saw something that bothered him. It looked like a dead body, but it wasn't a civilian victim. Gundham decided to investigate. Luckily..." She sprouted a scythe-like blade from her arm. "Demon Weapons can fight on their own if need be." "So the rumors of Demon Weapons and Meisters are true," came another female voice. Up to the girls walked another girl around Homura's age, with short blonde hair done up in spiral pigtails, with amber eyes.

Judging from her outfit, she was a Puella Magi. Her outfit consisted of a white shirt with puffy sleeves, the lower part of the sleeves separated and having black gloves. There was a yellow ribbon tied around her collar. She also had a black bustier around her midriff, and a brown miniskirt. She also wore stripped, knee length purple stockings under tall, black boots. She also wore a purple cap with a large feather, and a flower shaped hair clip with an amber gem in the middle, likely her soul gem.

She looked at Homura, who had already transformed into her Puella Magi form to better protect Madoka, and by extension Sayaka and Hitomi. "So you are a Puella Magi too," the girl said, "Kyubey did mention seeing one that did not make a contract with him." Sonia blinked. "Do you mean that white Kishin Professor Stein had strapped to his operating table for the last few days?" The girl looked confused. "Few days...? But I talked with him just hours ago." Madoka looked at the young girl. "Who are you anyway?" "Oh," the girl said, "Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Mami Tomoe, a Puella Magi contracted to fight witches."

* * *

Kyoko looked at the sleeping form of Yuma at the hotel they were staying at. Earlier at the hospital Mikan had gotten a phone call, after which she had asked Kyoko if a small white creature had approached Yuma at any point. From the description, it was the Incubator Kyubey. It was then that Mikan made a startling confession... She was a Meister, and Hajime was her weapon partner. Apparently, other Meisters were patrolling for Kishin and witches, and had spotted Kyubey talking with a Puella Magi clothed in white, even though Mikan said that Kyubey should have already been dissected by a man named Professor Franken Stein.

_'The girl in white said that Kyubey was interested in Yuma,'_ Kyoko thought, _'How did she even know about the kid?'_ At that moment, a rumbling sound was heard outside. Kyoko looked to see the entire hotel had been surrounded in a witch's barrier. And the witch itself was in plain sight at ground level. Its body looked like a giant skull on legs, with smiley faces for eyes and long, jet black hair. It's tongue lashed out as it started to attack the hotel from outside. Kyoko frowned. "Tch. So they won't even let me think in peace, huh? Very well." She got out her soul gem and transformed into her Puella Magi form.

Opening the window, she leapt down to confront the witch. She sneered at the witch's leering form. "Look at that ugly smile of yours. You should really be more considerate to your enemy." She twirled her spear around and struck at the witch, who deftly leaped aside and licked Kyoko's back with its tongue, causing her to shiver in disgust. She struck a hefty blow to the center of the witch's skull in retaliation. However, as the witch went limp, Kyoko noted that the barrier wasn't disappearing. _'This isn't right. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'_

Meanwhile, Yuma started to wake up from all the noise outside. The first sight that greeted her eyes was Kyubey sitting there on the bed. "Hello, Yuma." Yuma's eyes went wide and she smiled. "Wow! A talking plushie!" Kyubey was surprised to find Yuma pull it into a loving hug. "I'm not a plushie," Kyubey said, "I'm an Incubator. And I'm here to deliver some bad news." Yuma put Kyubey down so it could talk. "Kyoko is fighting a witch right now," the Incubator said, "But unfortunately, it's too strong and clever for her to fight on her own. But you might be able to help her." Yuma looked confused. "How could a witch be strong enough to defeat someone as tough as Kyoko nee-chan?"

Kyubey led Yuma to the window, where the witch was starting to manipulate its own blood as a weapon, much to Kyoko's surprise. To make matters worse, the witch's familiars were coming in on her from the other side, leaving her no room to escape. Kyoko still seemed confident, causing her spear to segment so she could attack the weaker familiars first. While she was distracted, however, the witch used its blood to sever Kyoko's right arm from her body, leaving her unable to hold her spear properly. She then felt more pain as the witch next cut off her left leg.

_'Damn,'_ Kyoko thought, _'So this is how it all ends... It sure would have been nice to have a sweet dream in my life... I'm sorry Yuma, but it looks like you'll be all alone now.'_ Before the witch could make the final strike, Kyoko suddenly felt the pain recede. She then became aware that her severed limbs had reattached somehow. Thinking quickly, she dove out of the way of the witch's blood attack. "That was close," Kyoko said, "But how...?" She then saw what looked like Yuma running toward her, and gasped. Yuma was now wearing a green and white dress, puffy shoes, white cat gloves, and a white kitty cap. There was a green ribbon streaming behind her, and she wore a white bow with an orange gem.

"Check it out Kyoko nee-chan," Yuma said, "Now I'm a Puella Magi too!" Kyoko was shocked. "Yuma... Why...?" Yuma saw the look of worry on Kyoko's face and became sad. "I'm sorry Kyoko... But when I saw that witch nearly kill you, I had to save you. So I made a wish that I could fight alongside you, and now I have healing magic." "That may have been a mistake kid," came Hajime's voice. Kyoko and Yuma turned to see him and Mikan standing not far from them. Hajime grinned. "Don't you know? My Mikan is so good, she can even repair severed limbs. All you had to do was ask."

"Well," Yuma said, "I wasn't sure I could get to you in time. I didn't even know you were here." Mikan shrugged. "It doesn't matter now. Come on, Hajime. It's witch hunting season." Hajime grinned and glowed brightly. He then transformed into a bonesaw, which Mikan took in her right hand. The witch, sensing new prey, lashed out with its blood. Mikan slashed at the bloody tendrils with Hajime, causing the blood to congeal and separate from the witch, finally causing it pain. Mikan kept slashing, cutting away at anything the witch might use as an appendage, until it was nothing but a giant skull.

"Ready for the finale, Mikan?," Hajime said from within his weapon form. Mikan nodded, and she and Hajime called out, "Let's go... Soul Resonance! Bonesaw Secret Technique! Chainsaw Massacre!" Hajime transformed into a giant chainsaw. Mikan revved him up, then thrust right into the center of the witch, cutting upwards after that. She then took a horizontal slash at the witch. She kept slashing at the witch until it finally disappeared, leaving its soul and grief seed behind. Hajime returned to his human form and took the soul, swallowing it immediately.

After a few seconds, Hajime trembled with power, saws emerging from his limbs, shoulders, and back. "That's that," Mikan said, "You have no idea how long it took to get all the Kishin Eggs we needed. And we thought it was still impossible, since Lord Death had already declared Soul 'Eater' Evans to be the last Death Scythe. Luckily, the truce we have only applies to human witches." Kyoko looked skeptical. "Human witches? Do you really expect me to believe those exist?" "Whether you believe or not doesn't matter," Hajime said, "There's something we need to ask about. On our way here we stumbled across the body of another Puella Magi, killed by one of her own kind."

"Yeah," Kyoko said, "I was told about that. Wasn't me though." Mikan nodded. "We know. My autopsy shows that the fatal wounds were inflicted with blades, and you use a spear. Thing is, Soul Wavelengths in the region showed that three people were present there... The victim, the killer, and a third party. The soul was that of a girl in white, and she had apparently been observing the killing with a sense of detachment." Kyoko gasped. "Girl in white? Could it be the same one you mentioned back in the hospital?" Mikan shrugged. "Who knows? But if the culprit is someone straying from the path of humanity, we Meisters and our weapon partners have no choice but to deal with them." The look of worry on Kyoko's face made Yuma realize how serious the situation was.

To be continued...

**So now Yuma is a Puella Magi. Let's hope she doesn't come to regret her decision. Oh, and we will be meeting Sonia's partner next chapter. Read and review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Call Of The Gundham

**Get ready for some major action, as well as introducing a familiar face. As for the disclaimer, I'll shorten it a little. Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi, Soul Eater, or Dangan Ronpa.**

Chapter 4: Call Of The Gundham

Several friends from the DWMA were meeting at the school's cafeteria. Peko and Fuyuhiko were among them, as were Nekomaru and Akane. Also there was Sakura Ogami and her partner, Teruteru Hanamura. Sakura was a slim yet toned young woman with a tanned complexion, a form suiting her previous career as an MMA fighter. She had long white hair that came down to her waist, as well as clear grey eyes. She was wearing a white sailor school uniform, the sleeves having been ripped off due to personal preference, and a blue skirt that came down mid-thigh.

Teruteru was a short and plump young man, with dark brown hair that was styled into a short pompadour that seemed to lean to his left. His eyes were always half-closed, but closer examination revealed them to be bright black. He was wearing a classic chef outfit, consisting of a red apron with white chef's jacket, and a red scarf around his neck. Under the lower part of his apron he was wearing a pair of blue dress pants and brown penny loafers. There was also a white chef's hat sitting on top of his head. As his appearance suggested, he was quite the accomplished chef and was even now making lunch for his friends.

Said lunch was not only being wolfed down by Akane, but by another duo in the room. They were Ibuki Mioda and her partner Mayuri Oshida. Ibuki styled herself much like a female punk rocker, her waist-length black hair styled up like two oni horns on top of her head, as well as having her bangs dyed in streaks of hot pink and blue. Her eyes were bright red. She wore a slightly wrinkled sailor school uniform, and had a scrunchy on her right wrist and a stocking on her left. Her legs were covered with ripped thigh highs, the left one blue and the right one pink, as well as white high tops. Up along her right thigh was a light scar.

Mayuri was a rather large and obese individual, yet his appearance wouldn't make him out of place in a high society social gathering. He had platinum blonde hair that was actually dyed, natural bright blue eyes, and wore rectangular glasses that on closer inspection were revealed to be fake. He was wearing a teal dinner jacket and matching pants, as well as a green cross-tie. In spite of how eagerly he was downing Teruteru's cooking, his face and jacket were surprisingly clean. "So," he said between bites, "Now both Fuyuhiko and Akane are Death Scythes. I guess it's only a matter of time before me and Teruteru follow suit."

"I still can't believe there are witches out there that resemble monsters more than humans," Sakura said, "What could have caused such abominations to come to light?" Akane shrugged as she finished wolfing down her third plate. "If we could only find a way to get one of those witches on Professor Stein's operating table, he might be able to tell us." "That little rat Kyubey seems to be linked to them," Fuyuhiko said, "From what I understand, it claims to be preserving the universe by means of some sort of cycle. From what he claims, he contracts young girls to become Puella Magi, like Homura or this Kyoko that Akane and Neko ran into."

"The idea, supposedly," Nekomaru said, "It that he grants a wish in exchange for the contract." Mayuri scoffed. "I believe the phrase that applies best here is, 'Be careful what you wish for.' No wonder you thought something was fishy, Peko." Peko nodded. "These girls become contracted to fight witches, but everytime they use their magic, their soul gem becomes 'corrupted'. They need the grief seeds to drain the corruption somehow." "And if they go too long without draining the corruption," Teruteru said as he brought out another platter of food, "They supposedly become those witches. But that's where Kyubey's version of things stop making sense."

Nekomaru nodded. "If the soul that comes from those witches was just another Kishin Egg, then I could buy his tale. But it's impossible for a human soul to become a witch's soul. If a being has become a witch, it's because they were born a witch. And the soul gem is supposed to hold a Puella Magi's soul." "That's just more hogwash," Fuyuhiko said, "Each of us can see souls easy. And I can tell you right now that Homura's soul was right were it was supposed to be, inside her body." Nekomaru nodded. "It's the same with Kyoko." "Regardless," Sakura said, "It seems Kyubey is hiding things from those poor girls. Both the truth... And his version of the truth."

At that moment, Mayuri's phone went off. "Oh, it's Hajime." He got up from the table and walked away a few paces while he answered the call. When he came back, his face was slightly grim. "Good news, Hajime is now a Death Scythe. Bad news, a little girl who's been traveling with Ms. Kyoko has made a contract to become a Puella Magi." The others all realized what that could mean. "Damn," Ibuki said, "Guess that means there's more than one Kyubey out there, huh? That's the only way this could be possible. But Ibuki wonders, why did that little girl decided to make a contract?"

Akane closed her eyes. "Because her 'big sister', Kyoko, was in danger no doubt. Both me and Kyoko gave Yuma a warning that's it would be for the best if she doesn't become a Puella Magi." "That reminds me," Peko said, "I believe Gundham and Sonia are currently out investigating the sudden rash of murders. All of the victims appear to be Puella Magi, and from our investigations thus far, it appears to be another Puella Magi committing the murders." "A fierce opponent," Ibuki said, "One who swoops in and strikes with deadly blades. But a funny thing Ibuki noted. The soul wavelength given off by both parties shows an anomaly."

The others looked at her in interest. "As you guys know, Ibuki's hearing is top notch. As such, in addition to being able to see souls, Ibuki can hear how a soul was moving judging from the sound of a soul wavelength. At first it looked as though the murderer was moving super fast, striking before the victim could move. But when Ibuki checked it out, it turns out our mystery killer was moving at a normal pace. It's just that the victim was moving super slow." Mayuri tapped his temple in thought. "That makes sense I suppose. These Puella Magi can apparently conjure magic that is somewhat weaker than a witch's. And spells that can slow down a target's movement do exist."

"Speaking of Gundham and Sonia," Nekomaru said, "They recently sent a field report. It seems while they were investigating the Puella Magi murders, they wound up encountering a witch." "Postal," Ibuki said, "You think they'll be all right?" Sakura nodded. "It won't be a problem. So far these witches have proven to be less of a hassle than the more human witches Meisters have fought against in the past. Besides, Gundham was trained by one of the strongest Meisters to have ever existed, the man known only as Black Star." Black Star was one of three legendary Meisters to have fought against the Kishin Asura many years ago. Though he never had the chance to turn his partner Tsubaki into a Death Scythe, he still obtained the fame and stardom he always wanted, to the point where many young Meisters wanted to become his apprentice.

"All the young students desiring to become Black Star's apprentice," Mayuri commented, "And he selected Gundham. Then again, Gundham's attitude nearly matches Black Star's to a tee. And Sonia, his partner, is very similar in personality to Tsubaki. In fact, there are those here at school who are calling them 'Black Star and Tsubaki the Second'." Peko couldn't help but chuckle. "Not bad considering Gundham started out as a simple animal breeder." The group looked back on their time at Kibougamine Academy. What was thought to be a school that took in the most elite students and gave them the keys to success turned out to be a gateway into something far more exciting.

* * *

Homura was leading Madoka and her friends to safety while Sonia held off the familiars. When it seemed like they were safe, Homura suddenly got a chilling feeling. She turned to see another familiar about to pounce. However, the familiar was soon overrun by four tiny hamsters. One was orange and white, the second was grey and white, the third had a chipped ear, and the third was big and orange. Before the familiar could shake off the hamsters, it suddenly found its center of mass pierced by a human arm. "Well done, my Four Dark Gods of Destruction!," came a boisterous voice, "Another of these vile familiars felled by my hand!"

Homura looked to see a young man around Sonia's age. He was also pale, but in a way that made him look like he wasn't getting enough sun. The back of his neck all the way up to his temples looked to have been shaved, the rest of his short black hair slicked back except for a tuft of grey in the middle. His left eye was grey and had a light scar going down it, while his right eye was red. He was wearing a long black jacket that was left open, the left sleeve pulled up to his elbow and held in place by silver pins. There was a strange vertical symbol on the back of it. A purple scarf was wrapped around his neck. His left arm, the one he had used to destroy the familiar, was covered up to the elbow by bandages. Under his jacket was a white button-up shirt that was also left open. Under that was a slightly darker shirt with a greyish-purple cross design visible. He was also wearing normal black pants held up with a similar colored belt with a silver buckle, as well as black boots with numerous straps across them. From his right ear dangled a small gold hoop earring.

Sonia came running to see what the problem and smiled widely at the sight of the strange man. "Gundham! There you are." At the sight of Sonia's smile, Gundham seemed to blush and lifted his scarf slightly over his face in a vain attempt to disguise this. "Hello, Sonia. I'm glad to see you uninjured." He cleared his throat. "I've already finished investigating the corpse we had discovered. From what I could gather, the culprit was gone long before the witch's barrier was erected. Speaking of that, I believe now is the time to end that vile monster's existence." Sonia nodded. "I've already gotten the last Kishin Egg I need. Let's go find that witch." She glowed bright white and transformed into a Kusarigama, a short sickle with a chain attached, and leapt into Gundham's hands.

Gundham closed his eyes in concentration, before snapping them open and racing off towards what Homura could only assume was the center of the barrier. Before long, Gundham had reached the witch's location, where Mami was already struggling to deal with the monstrosity. The witch itself looked like an underdeveloped larvae, yet it still had butterfly wings. It also had a wilting rosebush for a head, yet the roses on it looked perfectly healthy. It seemed to be resting on a set of large cushions. Gundham smirked at the grotesque creature. "So then, this is the vile witch that threatens this area with its barrier. Prepare yourself, evil one! For now your soul belongs to my partner Sonia! With it, I shall increase her strength a thousand fold!"

And with that, he leapt into the air to dodge the witch's attacks, swinging the sickle part of Sonia over his head before using it to slash at the witch's body. "Oh my," Mami said, "I didn't know there were humans other than Puella Magi who could fight a witch." "Yeah," Homura said, "I was surprised when I first saw it too. But right now, those two are holding back. Just wait until you see what they're truly capable of." As she spoke, Gundham continued to effortlessly dodge the witch's attacks. With the skill of a ninja, he landed on top of a nearby lamppost. "Enough games! Time to show you what we are truly capable of!"

He looked down at Sonia, who nodded at him from within her weapon form. The two of them then called out, "Let's go... Soul Resonance! Kusarigama Secret Technique! Ninja Chains!" Sonia's first sickle become more ornate, and a second one formed at the opposite end of the chain. Swinging both sickles around his head, Gundham grabbed the middle of the chain and let the two sickles fly. The chain seemed to grow to a ridiculous length, as Sonia wrapped both sickles around the witch until it was perfectly tied up. Both sickles then returned to Gundham's hand. Leaping off the lamppost, he began to spin like a wheel, the sickles in his hands turning him into a deadly buzzsaw.

As the girls watched, Gundham effortlessly sliced through the witch's body, bursting out the other side. To cap off the attack, Gundham continued to swing the sickles around his head, continuously slashing the witch until it was nothing but cold cuts. As the chain returned to a normal length, Gundham gloated, "And that is how the apprentice of the great Black Star does his gardening!" That earned him a sweat drop from Mami and Homura. Sonia returned to her human form and picked up the witch's soul. Before the girls' eyes, she swallowed it in one gulp. The effect was immediate, as sickle blades popped out from her arms, legs, and back.

When the effect subsided, Gundham nodded his approval. "And another of our group successfully forges a Death Scythe. We keep this up and we'll have an entire squad's worth." He then looked over at Homura. "Ah, you are the one spoken of by Peko and Fuyuhiko." Homura nodded. "When did you make a contract?," Mami asked, "Kyubey said he can't remember making one with you." "These so-called 'Incubators' seem to exist in numbers," Sonia said, "And they seem to share the same name. Possibly Homura made a contract with a different Kyubey than you." Naturally Sonia and Gundham knew the truth, but decided to keep it quiet for the time being.

Meanwhile, Madoka, Sayaka, and Hitomi were talking excitedly to each other. "I don't know who's cooler," Sayaka said, "Mami, or Gundham. They both act like champions of justice." "Gundham did seem like a big ham," Hitomi said, "But he _was_ the one who killed that witch. And he has such a wonderful partner to help him." "Maybe," Madoka said, "But that dark coloring seems to be off-putting. Mami is much more bright and cheerful." As the three friends continued chattering, Sonia couldn't help but giggle. "Maybe we should have our friends slay some more witches. I think it might be better if they don't make contracts." Mami seemed shocked to hear this, but Homura nodded in agreement.

"Why would it be a bad think for them to become Puella Magi?," Mami asked. Gundham raised an eyebrow. "So, you are unaware. I thought as much, from how enthusiastic you are regarding what you believe to be your calling. Let me first start with a question... What was the wish you made to forge this contract?" Mami's eyes seemed to go dark for a while, then she quickly ran off down the street. "Uh oh," Sonia said, "I think you struck a nerve." Gundham nodded. "The three of you should be careful. The Incubator's contract is not the happiness it seems to be. You may get what you want, only to lose what you have. Bear this in mind." And with that, he and Sonia left to report on their findings, leaving Madoka and her friends a little dumbstruck.

To be continued...

**Yeah, let's face it, the Meisters are Genre Savvy enough to know that Kyubey's "convenient contract" sounds like a scam. Also, I don't know whether or not Black Star will show up in this story, but I won't be limiting the Soul Eater appearances to just Lord Death and Professor Stein. Read and review.**


	5. Chapter 5: Cherry Petals And Axel Grease

**New characters are soon to be introduced, as the plot moves ever closer to the truth. Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi, Soul Eater, or Dangan Ronpa.**

Chapter 5: Cherry Petals And Axel Grease

Ibuki shook her head at the sight of yet another Puella Magi murder. "Poor girl... She likely had hopes and dreams of creating a world where people besides her could be happy." Mayuri shrugged. "Who can say? Kyubey can supposedly grant any wish, even if it's something as mundane and childish as a mountain of candy." Ibuki had a flat look on her face. "Ibuki thinks you'd have to be Yuma's age to want to wish for something like that. But whatever. Let Ibuki see if she can pick up any trace sounds from the soul wavelengths." "Careful," Mayuri said, "Last time you focused too hard and relived your death from the first timeline. I actually thought I lost you for a second."

Ibuki shuddered. "Death by strangulation... And from Mikan of all people. Hiyoko even mentioned in the second timeline how shocked she was that Mikan could actually pull off a murder. Is Ibuki right in thinking she was only murder victim who suffered? Then again, didn't you get stabbed multiple times with a skewer?" "Yeah," Mayuri said, "But the first stab severed my spinal cord, causing me to black out. I didn't feel any of the other stabs." Ibuki snapped her fingers in disappointment. "So, just Ibuki. Even Maizono, who was able to live a little longer after stabbed, said she couldn't feel any pain after she started losing blood. Why did the rest of you have to be so lucky? But Ibuki digresses, time to see what we can hear."

Ibuki put her hands to her temples and began to concentrate. As she breathed deep, she could see that pathways that each soul took before and after the event. _'Concentrate, Ibuki,'_ she thought, _'Put those Spirit Ears to work.'_ After a bit, she opened her eyes and smiled. "Ibuki's got it! Some girl was here. She said, 'Tonight? Okay. I wouldn't refuse an offer from you, Oriko. Let me take a shower first though, I got a bit dirty.' Ibuki's guesses she got dirty from the blood she spilled." Mayuri put a hand to his chin. "Who is this Oriko? And what of the girl who was speaking?"

"This is just like the investigations from the first timeline," Ibuki said, "Only back then, relatively speaking, we knew who all the suspects were." This caused Mayuri to chuckle. "Considering I was murdered before the first trial, I wouldn't know anything about that. I still find it ironic, I made a promise not to allow a single victim, only to end up as the first victim." "Yeah," Ibuki said, "Kinda convenient the author decided to make our problems coincide with the Puella Magi." Mayuri sighed. "Again with the crazy notion that this is all just some guy's story. We should be so lucky." "Oh we are," Ibuki said as she got out her phone to report their findings.

* * *

Mami had invited Madoka, Homura, Sayaka, and Hitomi to her place for tea after Gundham had defeated the witch from before. When she opened the door, all the girls except for Mami gasped in shock. Standing just inside was a young man who looked to be a few years older than them. He was somewhat pale, though not as much as Gundham, with piercing red eyes and waist-length black hair that was somewhat scraggly. He was wearing a blue school uniform with a white undershirt and black loafers. He actually looked scary to the other girls, like he might be a stalker, but Mami unexpectedly smiled and threw her arms around the man's neck in a hug.

"Izuru!," Mami said, "Good to see you again." The man known as Izuru smiled gently, and returned Mami's hug. "I'm so glad you got back safely. I get worried everytime you go out and hunt those witches." When Mami saw the other girls looking at her funny, she giggled. "Sorry, I forgot to mention. This is Izuru Kamukura, my boyfriend. Some time ago I ran across him after defeating a very irritating witch. Somehow, through all the carnage it was creating, he remained calm." "I had been kicked out of my high school for conducting one of the most dangerous experiments in human history," Izuru said as he and Mami led the others inside Mami's home, "The result would have killed more humans at once than a hundred witches put together."

Homura wondered what could possibly cause more damage than a hundred witches, but Izuru seemed unwilling to speak of it any further. "After I found him," Mami said, "He asked if he could stay with me for a while, since he had no place else to go. Before then, I was the only one living here, so I was grateful for the company. After a few days, we started falling in love." "Wow, really?," Madoka said, "Why is that?" Izuru smiled. "Mami made me feel something I never thought I'd feel ever again before meeting her... Hope. I used to think to hope was stupid, since anyone can feel it. I had focused more on despair. But I've come to realize, that despair can also be felt by anyone, and hope feels so much better."

"Say Mami," Hitomi said, "Why are you living here with just Izuru? What about your parents?" Mami suddenly looked sad. "They were killed in a car accident. That same accident is when I became a Puella Magi. My wish was to live through the crash, but it was a snap judgement. Had I more time, I more than likely would have wished that my parents would survive as well. That was why I ran when Gundham asked me what my wish was. It brought up too many painful memories." Just then, both Mami's and Homura's soul gems started glowing. "Another one?," Mami said, "But we haven't even finished the cake." Homura smiled. "Let this one go, Mami. I'm sure another Meister will pick up on it and destroy it for us. Honestly, I'd prefer not to waste too much magic." Mami put a finger on her cheek and nodded. "I suppose."

* * *

Just as Homura believed, Kazuichi Soda and his weapon partner Hiyoko Saionji were looking through the witch's barrier for their quarry. Kazuichi's hair was dyed hot pink, and his eyes seemed to be a matching color but were really contacts. His hair was unruly but was covered by a grey beanie. He also wore a neon yellow mechanic's jumper with matching sneakers. Hiyoko, despite being the same age as Kazuichi, was short and very child-like in appearance. She had long, blonde hair that was tied up in curved pigtails. The ties were bright green and had a cat face in the middle. Her eyes were golden colored. She was dressed in an orange kimono with a white floral pattern, tied with a green obi sash. She was wearing wooden zori sandals.

Searching through the area, they spotted a shadow moving as if to avoid the many lights that were still shining in spite of the witch's barrier. Kazuichi grinned, revealing his teeth to be shark-like. "We've found it," Kazuichi said, "We've spent all day getting the Kishin Eggs we need from those damn familiars, and now we've found the witch itself." "About time," Hiyoko said, "In spite of all our skill, we hadn't gotten a single soul before today. Now thanks to that new loophole, we're just one step away from making me a Death Scythe!" Glowing as she turned into her weapon form, a large wrench, she managed to cast a light on the witch they were hunting.

It was almost pure black and shaped like a twinkling star, with several arms jutting out from all angles. It quickly charged at Kazuichi, perceiving him to be a threat. Kazuichi simply grinned, raised Hiyoko above his head, and slammed her down on the first attacking limb. With great skill, Kazuichi continued to counter the witch's attempts to strike at him. In addition, he kept forcing her back under a nearby streetlight, currently turned on in response to the darkness created by the witch's barrier. Once the witch was under it, it shrieked in agony. "Time to finish it," Hiyoko said. Kazuichi nodded, and he and Hiyoko called out, "Let's go... Soul Resonance! Wrench Secret Technique! Spanner in the Works!"

Hiyoko's weapon form grew longer and more futuristic. Kazuichi pulled his arm back before throwing Hiyoko like a boomerang. Guiding herself, Hiyoko managed to strike the witch's center of mass, dealing significant damage. Kazuichi raced forward as Hiyoko returned to him, catching her in mid-air and slamming her down on the witch with great force. That was more than the witch could take, and it quickly disintegrated, leaving behind its soul and the grief seed. Hiyoko turned back into her human form and eyed the grief seed. "You think we can give this to Yuma? With her healing magic she'll be needing lots of them." "Maybe," Kazuichi said, "But the witch's soul is what we want."

Hiyoko nodded as she grabbed the soul and swallowed it. The increase in power seemed to make the wind around her swirl as smaller wrenches erupted from her elbows, wrists, and shoulders. "Whew," Hiyoko said, "That was yummy. I know some of the Kishin have claimed that normal human souls taste like candy, but eating them is even worse than eating real candy." Kazuichi chuckled. "Hiyoko, you love candy." "Yeah," Hiyoko said, giggling herself, "But I'm allowed to eat all the candy I want. Eating human souls is strictly forbidden. Now then, let's see if..." Hiyoko looked around. "No one else is here. Not even live Puella Magi. You think maybe they're getting the hint that we can do their job for them?" "I hope so," Kazuichi said, "Until we can at least solve these murders, it's better that no Puella Magi tries to fight against the witches."

To be continued...

**For reference, Hiyoko's Soul Resonance form looks like Ratchet's Omniwrench from Ratchet & Clank, but I'm not sure how to describe it other than calling it "futuristic". Also, with two sets of girls sharing the same name (Sayaka and Kyoko) I decided to have the ones from Dangan Ronpa go by their last names, hence calling Dangan Sayaka "Maizono". Read and review.**


	6. Chapter 6: Cake Dreams And Boomsticks

**Time now to correct one of the most infamous moments in Puella Magi. Come on now, guys, you all knew this was coming. Disclaimer: I don't own Puella Magi, Dagan Ronpa, or Soul Eater.**

Chapter 6: Cake Dreams And Boomsticks

Kyoko didn't know what to make of the young woman sitting across from her. From what Nekomaru and Mikan told her, this girl shared a name with her. Kyoko Kirigiri had a beautifully pale complexion, with waist-length lavender hair and deep purple eyes. Their was a braid on the left side of her hair tied with a black ribbon. She wore a dark purple collared jacket over a white blouse with a brown tie. She also wore a short skirt with heeled knee-high boots. On her hands were black gloves that seemed to be custom made and breathable.

Kirigiri's partner was Makoto Naegi, who came off to Kyoko as looking rather typical. Makoto had short brown hair and light grey eyes. He wore a brownish green hoodie with black jeans and red sneakers. Yet for all his plainness, Kirigiri treated him like he was some sort of adonis or something, they seemed so close. Yuma, seeing the two of them together, asked Hajime, "Do all Meister and Weapon duos have a romance?" "Not always," Hajime said, "Sakura and Teru don't have feelings for each other, but they do have compatible soul wavelengths. Heck, I've seen teams that have the same gender for both Meister and Weapon. The only rule for teaming us up is that our partner must share a compatible soul wavelength with us."

At that moment, Yuma heard a light growling. She turned around to see a small wolf cub with light brown fur and bright blue eyes. It was standing upright and wearing ripped jeans. In spite of its attempts to look menacing, it only managed to look adorable. Seeing Yuma wasn't scared, the cub said, "Aren't you afraid of me?" Yuma just gave a wide grin and hugged the cub. "Wow! A talking puppy!" After recovering from the shock of being hugged by a cute girl, the cub said, "I'm not a puppy. I'm Wolfboy." Yuma let go of Wolfboy as he transformed into a boy her own age.

"Wolfboy," came a female voice, "How many times have I told you not to go around trying to scare little kids?" Yuma and the others turned to see a young woman of modest build. She had long silver hair that was perfectly straight. Her mouth looked like a narrow slit and had prominent black circles at either end, giving the impression of a frog. She was wearing a thigh-length black dress with white polka dots over a dark gray blouse. She also had black pants and knee-high white boots. On her head was a pointed orange hat with a frog face on it. Kyoko couldn't help but giggle as the woman wrestled with Wolfboy trying to get him into a black t-shirt.

"Hey Eruka," Akane said, "Kyoko, Yuma, meet Eruka Frog. She's a witch, but a more human witch than the ones you've seen so far. She's also Wolfboy's mother." Eruka finished getting her son into the shirt and wiped her forehead. "Sorry about that. Me and my husband Free tried to raise Wolfboy responsibly. But being the werewolf he is, the little bundle of energy can't help but answer his call of the wild." Kyoko had a blank look on her face. "Wait... So you're a human witch... And your son is a werewolf?" "We said there were human witch's out there," Hajime said.

Eruka sat down with the others and explained. "As much as I hate to admit it, witches in general have a knack for causing destruction for the sake of it. As a result, like the Kishin, we've been the target of Meisters and their Demon Weapons for years. It was all part of the Grim Reapers plan to ensure that humans wouldn't die before their time." "Wait," Kyoko said, "Wouldn't the Grim Reaper _want_ people dying earlier?" Nekomaru laughed. "You've been watching too much fiction. The truth is every soul that dies costs Lord Death a ton of paperwork before it can be sent off to the afterlife."

Eruka nodded. "Normally that amount of people who die every day is supposed to be limited to a thousand, with fifteen-hundred being born to replace them. Any more than that can cause Lord Death to get overworked. So Lord Death's father, the Grim Reaper himself, founded a school called the Death Weapon Meister Academy, or DWMA for short. It trains Meister like Kirigiri, Nekomaru, and Mikan, in how best to work with their Weapon partners, like Makoto, Akane, and Hajime." "The high school we used to go to," Makoto said, "Was a gateway to inducting new students to the DWMA."

Kyoko blinked. "What sort of high school would do that?" "Kibougamine," Kirigiri replied, and Kyoko's jaw dropped. "You guys all went to Kibougamine Academy! That's a school strictly for elite-class students!" "That's right," Hajime said, "And each of us are elite-class. Nekomaru is the Ultimate Coach, Akane the Ultimate Gymnast, Makoto the Ultimate Optimist, Kirigiri the Ultimate Detective, Mikan the Ultimate Nurse, and I'm the Ultimate Scholar. After all, it takes the best students to make the best Weapons and Meisters." Yuma noticed the speechless look on Kyoko's face and giggled. "I think you broke onee-chan's brain."

* * *

Homura was returning to her apartment when her soul gem went off again. Her thoughts quickly turned to Mami. _'She doesn't realize the true gravity of what it means to be a Puella Magi. The true horror involved... But the last time I tried to help her, she kept me out of the fight by force... And paid the ultimate price for it. I can't interfere this time, but I also want to make sure she survives. Her death in the last timeline is one of the things that led to Madoka finally giving in. Peko's right. It's not enough to just protect Madoka. In order to make sure she doesn't want to change her world, I have to make sure it stays the same, and protect the people she cares about.'_ She got out her cellphone and dialed the number Sonia had sent her.

* * *

Mami was ready to head out when her soul gem went off. "Be careful out there," Izuru said as she headed out, "Everytime you leave to fight one of those monsters, I'm afraid you won't come back." Mami smiled and kissed her boyfriend. "I'll come back, I promise. As selfish as it might sound, I think we need each other. Just as I cured your despair, you cured my loneliness." And with that, she transformed and headed out. Izuru thought back to the previous timelines. Slowly but surely, his plans had wound up being erased. When his goal of bringing about The World's Most Despair-Inducing Incident was cut off at its source, he thought there was nothing left. And then Mami came into his life. "Be careful Mami."

* * *

Chihiro Fujisaki and Chiaki Nanami were waiting at the predicted sight of the next witch attack. Chihiro was small and doll-like, and despite being a boy was very feminine in his appearance. His hair was short and brown, and his eyes were a matching color. He was cross-dressing in a school uniform for girls, consisting of a dark green jacket, white dress shirt, brown skirt with matching suspenders, black socks, and white shoes. However, he also wore a pair of boys shorts underneath to avoid peepers.

Chiaki was twice the height of Chihiro and very curvaceous, yet dressed as a gamer girl. She had short, light pink hair that was a little curly, as well as matching eyes. Tied to her hair was a hair clip shaped like a Galaga spaceship. She was wearing an unzipped hoodie with pointed ear on the hood. A white shirt could be seen under the the hoodie, with a pink ribbon and pale brown skirt. She was also wearing black thigh highs and white shoes. Strapped to her back was a pink backpack carrying all manner of handheld consoles and games, as well as a few strategy guides.

_"Master,"_ came an electronic voice from the laptop Chihiro was using. The voice belonged to Alter Ego, a computer program developed by Chihiro to perform complex programming tasks when he was occupied elsewhere. The program looked like an exact copy of Chihiro's head and face, and he treated the program like his own son. "What's Up Alter Ego?," Chihiro asked. _"The witch has been located. I was able to use those new upgrades to track the signature of the grief seed. It's showing up at a nearby hospital. Sending directions now."_

With the rise of monster witches, the group of Meisters known to the rest of the DWMA as the "32 from Kibou" relied on the team psychic, Yasuhiro Hagakure, to predict when witches would show up. He was always right on the money in this case, since his clairvoyance in conjunction with his ability to see soul wavelengths boosted his prediction accuracy by a substantial amount. From there, Chihiro had Alter Ego pinpoint the witch's location using an analysis of the grief seeds provided by Professor Stein.

"From the soul wavelengths in the area," Chiaki said, "I think it's safe to say that's the witch Sonia said Mami might be going after." Homura's call to Sonia had told her what Mami was planning on doing, and described what the witch in question might look like. "Let's get going Chihiro," Chiaki said. Chihiro nodded and transformed into his weapon form, a shotgun, which Chiaki caught in her right hand. Picking up Alter Ego with her other hand and sliding him into her backpack, Chiaki began leaping across the rooftops.

* * *

Madoka and Sayaka were visiting a boy from their school, who Sayaka happened to have a crush on, when suddenly the entire area turned into a valley of sweets. As strange as it was, the sweets and cakes seemed to be safe enough. However, the two girls suddenly found themselves being attacked by more witch's familiars. Before the familiars could attack, something shot them down. Madoka turned her head to see Mami standing there. "Mami," Madoka said, "How did you know we'd be here?" Mami seemed a little surprised. "I didn't. I just sensed the witch's barrier and found you inside."

Mami looked around and soon found the witch right in the center of the barrier. It was a rather small witch, about the size of a doll. It's head was shaped like a pink candy wrapper and had a face like a stuffed animal, with bright blue eyes. Its neck looked like a puffy black frill with pink polka dots. Its pink body could be seen under a black coat with a red cloak behind it. The witch seemed to eye Mami for some reason before sending several familiars her way. Mami quickly conjured up a set of long, silver flintlock rifles and started firing them off one by one, using them to bludgeon any familiar that got too close.

Summoning two more rifles, Mami took aim at the witch and fired, causing the witch to be blown to the ground. "That was easy," Mami said. However, before she could relax, the witch's mouth opened. From it emerged a secondary body, serpentine in appearance. The body was pitch-black and had red polka dots. It's face was more cartoonish, with yellow blush stickers, a party hat for a nose, swirling eyes, and twin wings on its head, the left one blue and the right one red. The witch eyed Mami once again and opened its mouth, revealing shark-like teeth. The witch made a move to bite down on Mami, but before it could, another blast impact knocked it aside.

Mami, who had put up her arm to shield her eyes, looked to see where the blast had come from. She saw a young woman several years older than her, holding a still-smoking shotgun. "Who are you?," Mami asked. The girl rested the shotgun's barrel on her shoulder. "I'm Chiaki. And you should have paid more attention. These monster witches can be unpredictable." Just then, the shotgun spoke up. "Chiaki, look! Something's happening with the witch!" Mami gasped. "So... You're a Meister." Chiaki smiled as the shotgun turned into what looked like a little girl.

"This is Chihiro," Chiaki said, "My Weapon partner. And by the way, he's a lot older than he looks." Sayaka, who was nearby, was stunned. "That's a boy?!" Chiaki nodded, then turned to where the witch was. It wasn't getting back up. Rather, it was dissolving. In it's place was a young girl, no older than ten at most, who was clearly unconscious. She had waist length silver hair, and was dressed in a bright pink dress with white polka dots, a brown undershirt underneath. Her hair was tied up slightly with small yellow ribbons. She also wore long reddish-brown stockings and dark brown shoes.

Mami, concerned for the girl, gently took her in her arms. "Hey, are you okay?" The girl slowly opened her amber colored eyes as the witch's barrier began to disappear. "M-Mommy...?" Mami was taken aback. "How did... You know my name?" Chiaki stifled a laugh. "I think she was just asking for her mother." Mami blushed in embarrassment. Madoka and Sayaka came over. "Who are you?," Madoka asked. The girl looked around. "I'm Nagisa. Nagisa Momoe. I was here with my mother when..." Suddenly she seemed to remember something, and began to tear up. "That's right... Mama was... She was sick... And wasn't getting better... A-and..."

Mami couldn't help but sympathize as Nagisa began crying into her shoulder. "This is something new," Chihiro said, "None of the other witches so far have turned back into humans." Chiaki nodded. "I think it'd be best if Professor Stein took a look at her. It may answer a lot of questions we have." "I think I'd better go with you," Mami said, "There's some questions I'd like answered as well." She took out her cellphone and called Izuru to let him know she was alright and where she was going.

Once they were all gone, another Kyubey popped out from his secret hiding place. "That didn't go as planned. That witch should have caught Mami off-guard. These Meisters have been interrupting my work for too long now, but they're too strong for any of the witches I send their way. And worse still, after defeating just one, they seem to become even stronger afterward. And why do they treat their weapons like friends rather than tools? Granted the weapons are sentient, but still, it's not like the weapon can do anything without someone to wield it. These Meisters are such enigmas. And I need to do something about them as soon as possible."

To be continued...

**That little rat pops up everywhere doesn't he? Don't worry, he'll get his soon enough. Oh, will he ever. Read and review.**


	7. Chapter 7: What Is A Witch

**Well, Dangan Ronpa 2 has been announced for an American release this fall. My only complaint is how they altered Gundam's name to Gundham (I had to alter previous chapters accordingly). I mean sure, Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko got the same treatment, but only for their last names. As such it doesn't come into play much for me, since in this story everyone's on a first name basis (well, with two exception). Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa, Puella Magi, or Soul Eater.**

Chapter 7: What Is A Witch

Kyoko looked on as Mikan examined the young girl Nagisa. She had been brought in by Chiaki and Chihiro just a few hours ago. Nagisa was, quite understandably, unnerved by the sight of Professor Stein, so he had called in Mikan and Hajime instead. Kyoko, curious as to what this was about, came along. Naturally, Yuma was with her. "Hey Mami," Kyoko said, "This kid with you?" "Sort of," Mami said when she saw her fellow Puella Magi. Mami and Kyoko knew each other from previous escapades, and the two had something of a friendly rivalry.

Chihiro was busy checking and double-checking the data streaming in from Mikan's examination. "Is it really true?," Kyoko asked Mami, "This kid used to be a witch?" Mami nodded. "As hard as it is to believe, it's true. She changed back somehow after being blasted by Chiaki and Chihiro." "Blasted?," Yuma said, "What was the weapon, some kinda tank?" "Nope," Chihiro said, "I'm actually a shotgun. Typical go-to weapon for a gamer girl like Chiaki." Yuma nodded. "One question... Why's a guy like you dressed like me?" Chihiro flinched at the statement. "Oh, so you could tell, huh?"

Mami laughed when Kyoko blurted out, "Wait, that's a guy?!" Chihiro chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I get that a lot." Mikan gave a good-natured giggle. "He started dressing that way as a child as a means to disguise his physical weakness. Even after his secret was revealed, he kept cross-dressing because it felt comfortable to him." Chihiro smiled. "Only difference is I traded in my bloomers for a pair of shorts." He lifted up his skirt to show what he meant. Mikan turned back to Nagisa. "So, can you tell what you remember from yesterday?"

Nagisa thought for a while. "Well, I was in the hospital with my mother. Her health was starting to fail. Then this little white thing, I'm not sure if it was a bunny or a cat, it was hard to tell, came into the room asking if I wanted a wish. I just said that I wished I could share one last cake with Mommy. Next thing I now the cake is there and I'm wearing this strange outfit like a magical girl in a manga. After the cake is finished, Mommy... Passed on..." She cried for a but before wiping her tears away. "Anyway, shortly after that the creature asked why I didn't wish my mom would get better. The question hit me worse than anything else I've ever experienced. After that I blacked out for a bit."

"That may have been the point when Nagisa became a witch," Mami said, "But hold on, it sounds like she encountered Kyubey, who made her a Puella Magi. Why would she turn into a witch?" "We still need more data from the witch's themselves before we can draw any real conclusions," Chiaki said, "There's so much we don't know." Mikan nodded to Nagisa to continue her story. Nagisa nodded back. "Anyway, what happened next was kinda hazy. There seemed to be all kinds of yummy cakes and candies around me. I was able to eat as much as I wanted and not get a tummy-ache. I thought maybe it was a dream or something, since I never seemed to run out."

"The inside of the witch's barrier was made of all kinds of snacks," Chiaki said, "All of which were perfectly edible. Then again, the barrier itself is never dangerous, only the witch and its familiar." "Well," Nagisa said, "Soon after I got started, I began craving my favorite food... Cheese. Mommy would always make the best cheese sandwiches, and I began to miss it. Then I saw this yummy-looking yellow treat and thought, 'That must be the cheese I'm craving'. At first something stung me back, but it didn't seem to hurt. So I just I went to take a bite, and then something big slammed right into my head. Then I blacked out again."

Mami was visibly trembling at the thought of being called a "yummy-looking yellow treat". "Ooh," Kyoko said, "I'm gonna have tease ammo for weeks." The others all laughed. "Anyway," Mikan said, "That must have been the point when Chiaki fired upon you. Somehow the blast was able to reset your soul energy." "What a minute," Kyoko said, "What about her soul gem? If she became a Puella Magi, she should have a soul gem." "We didn't find any soul gems in the hospital," Chiaki said, "Not that it matters. Her soul is still inside her body."

"But these reading indicate she still has strong magic," Chihiro said, "This is interesting. Hey Nagisa, can you concentrate on what your costume looked like? The one you had after you made that wish?" Nagisa nodded and thought hard. Then in an instant, she began to glow. When the light faded, she was wearing a light pink shawl coat with a black undershirt that left her midriff bare. Her hands had black fingerless gloves. She was also wearing brown suspenders with light brown bows at the base, a puffed out skirt with a short hem, black polka dot leggings, and light brown slippers. On her head was a dark brown winter cap with kitty ears.

Kyoko and Mami were shocked. "How is this possible?," Mami said in shock, "She's still a Puella Magi, but she has no soul gem." Nagisa was just as surprised. "Wow. This is the same outfit." She looked herself and smiled. "It's actually kinda cute. But maybe a bit too warm for this time of year." Mami put a finger on her chin. "Well, since you are a Puella Magi, that must mean you have some sort of magic. Do you know what it is?" Nagisa shrugged. "I never got a chance to find out." Mikan looked concerned. "Kyubey was supposed to have been taken care of when Fuyuhiko brought him to Professor Stein. But he's been spotted by other meisters in multiple locations. There must be more than one of him."

"I think I may know what's going on here," Chiaki said, "Maybe Kyubey decided to create a fresh witch just to kill Mami for whatever reason. Those two girls, Madoka and Sayaka, were in that hospital visiting a friend when they got caught in the witch's barrier." "That little rat seems to want Madoka for some plan or other," Kyoko said, "Every time me or Mami see him, he asks whether we know about her. She seems to be important to him somehow." "He's probably just eager to make more Puella Magi to fight witches," Mami said, "But with meisters like Mikan and Chiaki, it might not be necessary to have anymore."

"Speaking of," Chihiro said, "Why don't you guys team up against these witches? It happens all the time in manga. I mean, Kyoko's already teamed up with Yuma." "That's only because I don't mind looking after the little rugrat," Kyoko said, "Those grief seeds dropped by the witches only come one at time. Teaming up would mean we'd have to split them, which would put a hamper on how much magic we can use. See, everytime a Puella Magi uses her magic, the soul gem starts to become corrupted. The grief seeds we get from witches take away that corruption. One grief seed alone is enough to completely cleanse a soul gem that is close to being fully corrupted. So naturally, there tends to be competition among the Puella Magi. None of us wants to know what happens when that soul gem gets completely corrupted."

"There may be more to it than that," said Professor Stein as he walked into the room. Nagisa, Kyoko, Yuma, and Mami, all looked at him nervously. Needless to say, his patchwork appearance seemed strange. Professor Stein looked at the data compiled. "Interesting... Most interesting... This is going to go a long way towards answering a lot of questions we have regarding this situation. One last thing I need before I can finalize this research... One of those monster witches. This is going to be the tricky part, since they tend to disintegrate shortly after being defeated. And capturing one alive might be easier said than done, since we don't know if they can even leave the barriers they create. If only we could find a way..." He twisted the screw in his head as he thought.

* * *

Byakuya Togami looked over the invitation he had received with interest. Byakuya looked like a taller and slimmer version of Mayuri, although his hair was a natural blonde color and his glasses were real. He also had wore a black-green business suit instead of the lighter colored dinner jacket Mayuri had. "It seems we've been invited to a tea party at the Mikuni residence," he said, "Shall we attend Toko?" Toko Fukawa, Byakuya's meister and fiancee, was a sullen yet rather attractive young woman. She had long, dark purple hair that was tied in two braids going down to her waist, and pale grey eyes. She wore a dark green sailor school uniform with a longer skirt that came down to her knees, as well as black slippers. She also wore a pair of glasses, but they more rounded than Byakuya's.

"I'm not sure I could," Toko said, "We've been there before, remember? You felt it too, I'm sure. Oriko's a Puella Magi, and that means it's only a matter of time before a witch singles her out. I'm sure how effective I'd be in that situation." Byakuya gave a gentle and sympathetic smile. Even though Toko was a meister, she wasn't really much of a fighter, and left the real fighting to her alternate personality Genocide Jill. Jill, a former serial killer, was a much more effective fighter. However, she tended to not be as effective in a real fight. Even though Byakuya's weapon form was a giant pair of scissors, they proved to be too cumbersome for Jill to wield properly. They decided to hold off on truly fighting until they could figure it out. "Very well then. We'll have Mayuri sub in for us."

* * *

Oriko Mikuni was a young girl was long flowing silverly blonde hair that was tied to one side in a ponytail, as well as clear green eyes. She was wearing a bright red dress for the occasion. Near the rose garden on her family estate was her best friend Kirika Kure. Kirika had short, light black hair and bright orange eyes. She was wearing her pale white school uniform with black stripped skirt. She was busy naming all the various roses she could remember from Oriko's garden. "You sure do like roses, don't you Kirika?," Oriko said with a smile, "Perhaps we shall plant some more later." Kirika nodded. "I gotta say, I'm a little excited to meet _the_ Byakuya Togami. I didn't you knew him."

"Indeed," Oriko said as she poured some tea, "His father assisted my father during his campaign for Prime Minister. That is... Until the scandal..." She had brief thoughts about the aftermath of that time before shaking them from her head. At that moment, the sound of a car was heard. "Ah, that must be them," Oriko said. She walked over to the entrance to the garden top greet her guests. Kirika took one look and raised an eyebrow. "Seems the head of Japan's biggest business family... Has been putting on the pounds." What Kirika didn't know is that the man standing in front of her was not Byakuya, but rather Mayuri, with Ibuki just behind him.

"Yo," Ibuki said, "So this is the Mikuni estate, huh? A little too quiet for Ibuki's taste. Give Ibuki a good band stage with a screaming audience any day." Oriko giggled. "I see you decided to bring a different female guest this time, Byakuya." "Indeed," Mayuri said, easily going into character, "Toko wasn't feeling well enough to join us. Oh, and don't mind my new figure. Minor bought of depression, but I'll get over it soon enough." "Ah," Oriko said, "Slight case of overeating. Still, you seem fit regardless." Mayuri smiled. "Of course. Once I got over the depression, I spent some time balancing out my fat to muscle ratio to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

Before the four of them could settled in, a sudden rumbling occurred, and out of nowhere the area become surrounded by Roman-style columns. Kirika took a look around and said, "Huh... I thought this place could a suit of armor. That is typical style of these bourgeois folk to have on display... Right?" Oriko and Mayuri shook their heads. Ibuki smiled. "Then it's gotta be a witch." The witch did look very armored, with a flowing sash covering its lower body. Instead of arms, it had thick twisting wires. The overall theme resembled a queen chess piece.

As the witch attacked, Ibuki and Kirika dodged out of the way. Mayuri quickly ran in Ibuki's direction and took on his weapon form, an electric guitar. Ibuki grabbed the neck of the guitar and slung Mayuri over her shoulders. Kirika, meanwhile, had transformed into her Puella Magi state. She now wore a dark blue tracksuit without the pants, instead having a white short skirt. She had white leggings with dark blue ankle-high boots. Her belt hung behind her like twin cat tails. Ruffles were coming out of her sleeves, and from one of them Ibuki could see sharp claw-like blades. That caused her to raise an eyebrow. "A meister, huh?," Kirika said, "Cool. I guess I could use the help."

She struck out at the witch with her claws, while Ibuki ran at it batting away the wires with Mayuri. She then held Mayuri like a normal guitar and gave a quick strum on the frets. The resulting shockwave blasted the witch into a nearby wall. "Interesting," Oriko said, "So he's more than a bludgeoning weapon." "Ibuki," Mayuri said, "Doesn't it look like the witch is moving slower than normal?" Ibuki took a look. "Hey yeah, the other witches so far have much faster than this. Unless..." She looked toward Kirika, who was still going to town on the witch. "Interesting... I think we have our opportunity. You ready Mayuri?"

Kirika looked back at them. "Mayuri? Who's..." But at that moment, the witch got a lucky shot in and knocked Kirika near Oriko. "Are you okay Kirika?," Oriko asked as she ran over to her friend. "I'll be fine," Kirika replied, "Just got my pride hurt a little." Meanwhile, Ibuki and Mayuri were charging up. "Let's go... Soul Resonance! Guitar Secret Technique! Death Solo!" Mayuri transformed from a standard electric guitar to a flying v guitar. Ibuki looked back at Kirika and Oriko. "You may want to cover your ears." And with that, she played one of her hit songs on Mayuri, causing wave after wave of sound which continued to damage the witch until it expired.

Mayuri transformed back. "I see. The witch is still present even though we defeated her." "It's gotta be Kirika's magic," Ibuki said, "And this means we have the perfect specimen for Professor Stein." "One question," Kirika said, "Who's Mayuri?" Ibuki flinched. "Oops, did Ibuki let that slip out?" Mayuri just chuckled. "Sorry for the confusion. You see, the real Byakuya Togami couldn't make it. My name is Mayuri Oshida, Byakuya's body double. Just a little part-time gig between acting jobs." Oriko nodded. "I see. Very convincing. But what do you plan on doing with that witch?"

Ibuki got out her cell phone and called the DWMA. Soon enough, a car pulled out and several guys in lab coats got out of it. After a bit, they got the witch onto a flatbed truck and drove it off. "Good thing we acted before that magic began to wear off," Mayuri said, "This is sure to answer many of the questions we have." And with that, he and Ibuki got back in the car they came in and drove off. "Interesting," Oriko said, "What do they know that we don't?" Kirika put her hands behind her head. "Does it matter? They got rid of the garbage in your beautiful garden, and that's all I care about." Oriko giggled. _'Kirika... If not for you, I would truly be broken. I have to do whatever it takes to make sure we stay together forever. These meisters seem bothersome, but they aren't doing anything to threaten us, so I'll let them work.'_

To be continued...

**You're gonna regret that, Oriko. Anyway, we're nowhere near done with this. Yes, the truth I promised is coming up in the next few chapters, but the story extends far beyond that. Read and review.**


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